In Prayer
by Alexriolover95
Summary: As the Allies successfully invaded the Normandy beaches, President Roosevelt urges the American people to pray with him, for one specific young female Scarlet macaw, it means praying for the safe return of her brother and her lover as they drop from the skies into the Normandy countryside... In celebration of the 75th Anniversary of D-Day (And a prequel to my last Christmas story!)


**Hey everybird! What's up!?**

**So I am super late in making this to celebrate a very important date in history…**

**This year, on June 6, marked the 75th anniversary of D-Day, (This year also marks the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing) aka Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied Western Europe by way of the Normandy beaches and sealed the final death knells of Nazi Germany.**

**As the Allies fought and secured the Normandy beaches and coastline, through much blood for every inch gained, (Especially the boys on Omaha Beach) on the night of June 6, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (My most favorite US president!) having received the excellent news of the invasion's success, went on national radio, in one of his "fireside chats", urging the American people to join him in prayer…**

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**Nyack, New York, the night of June 6, 1944…**

In one of the houses that lined the hillside alongside the mighty Hudson River, a family was just about to start eating dinner, the family setting the table, well what they could, as it was wartime and the country's populations had to ration their food, to save for the men fighting overseas. As the family finished, just sitting down to say prayers, the radio, which was playing the music of the day, changed as a familiar bird's voice came on… The voice of President Franklin Roosevelt. The family listened in as they sat down.

_"My fellow Americans: Last night, when I spoke with you about the fall of Rome, I knew at that moment that troops of the United States and our allies were crossing the Channel in another and greater operation. It has come to pass with success thus far._

"So it has began…" The one male bird a the table, an adult Scarlet, spoke softly as the rest of the family listened closely as the president spoke.

_And so, in this poignant hour, I ask you to join with me in prayer:_

The adult female Scarlet, the wife of the male adult, held out her wings, in order for the family to pray as the president instructed.

_Almighty God: Our sons, pride of our Nation, this day have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our Republic, our religion, and our civilization, and to set free a suffering humanity._

This spoke very personally to the couple as their son was overseas, having by now was already on the Normandy coastline. Their son, Alex, a young lieutenant in the 101st Airborne Division, having, in fact, jumped above the Normandy area, alongside the thousands of other Allied paratroopers who jumpstarted the massive invasion.

_Lead them straight and true; give strength to their arms, stoutness to their hearts, steadfastness in their faith._

As the couple was wishing for their son's safe return one day, one of their two daughters, the younger female, named Lisa, prayed for her brother, but also her lover, who was also in the 101st Airborne and was in her brother's squad, a young 19 year old Blue macaw named Tiago…

**The night before, above the English Channel…**

Through the darkness of the night, the droning sound of thousands of engines could be heard, 20,000 feet above the ground, as the most massive airborne operation in history thus far would start the final liberation of Nazi-occupied Western Europe. Three full Allied Airborne divisions, the American 82th and 101st and the British 6th Airborne, would be dropping into the Normandy area to secure specific bridges and towns so the Germans couldn't easily counterattack the invasion force due in the morning.

The Airborne Divisions all knew the risk, if the main invasion failed, they would certainly all be either killed or captured, but also the success of the invasion counted on them. Alongside the hundreds of C-47 transport planes of the 101st Airborne, young Private Tiago was sitting down alongside his squadmates, as he had out a small picture of Lisa and him, a picture they took right before they had to separate and Tiago went overseas.

"Don't worry private, we'll make it." Tiago's lieutenant, Alex, told him with a smile. "I promised my sister I would make sure you get back home."

"Yes sir." Tiago replied and took a deep breath as the planes continued their way across the English Channel, eventually the Normandy coastline in sight as the Germans were alerted to the presence of the Allied planes…

_They will need Thy blessings. Their road will be long and hard. For the enemy is strong. He may hurl back our forces. Success may not come with rushing speed, but we shall return again and again; and we know that by Thy grace, and by the righteousness of our cause, our sons will triumph._

Soon enough the calm night turned into a living hell as searchlights lit up the skies and German flak guns opened fire, tracers and flak bursts filling up alongside the clouds as transports planes started to go down, engines catching fire, wings being shredded off, or simply everyone on board a plane was killed. As the plane Tiago was in, kept going, Alex knew they had to jump now, they couldn't wait longer.

"Let us out now!" Alex shouted to the pilot and co-pilot.

"We can't sir, we're not at the assigned landing zone!" The pilot shouted back.

"Goddammit, I gave you an order, to hell with the landing zone, we're all going to die if we stay!" Alex shouted at his loudest above the noise of the flak and plane engines as the co-pilot nodded to the pilot to let them off.

"Alright!" The pilot shouted back as he pressed a button on the control panel, the red light, which signaled the "No-jump" turned green.

"Okay boys, let's go, lets give the krauts hell!" Alex told his men as they all got up, hooking themselves up to the line as they prepared to jump out.

_They will be sore tried, by night and by day, without rest-until the victory is won. The darkness will be rent by noise and flame. Men's souls will be shaken with the violences of war._

As Alex was about to jump off, heavy flak fire hit the plane as bullets came tearing through the bottom of the plane, instantly killing several men, who either die quietly or screaming, Tiago's squadmate behind Tiago was one of them as the blood sprayed onto Tiago's face. Tiago felt himself freeze up as he couldn't move, paralyzed by the sight, everything got quiet to Tiago as the only thing he could hear was the rapid beating of his heart.

"Private, private!" Alex shouting at Tiago. "Private Tiago!" Alex screamed at his loudest as Tiago finally heard his lieutenant as Alex was staring right into Tiago's face. "Snap out of it private or else you'll end up like him! Now lets go!"

_For these men are lately drawn from the ways of peace. They fight not for the lust of conquest. They fight to end conquest. They fight to liberate. They fight to let justice arise, and tolerance and good will among all Thy people. They yearn but for the end of battle, for their return to the haven of home._

And so with Alex jumping off first, into the the flak filled skies, down below to where surely thousands of German soldiers were waiting to kill the invading American paratroopers, Tiago slowly walked up next to the open door of the plane to jump out. Taking a quick second to look down, Tiago saw the ever constant flak storm filling the sky, the searchlights pointing out the Allied planes as Tiago took a deep breath and jumped out of the plane, dropping down.

As Tiago reached for the parachute trigger, he saw others, some of them his squadmates, either get shot while in midair or already dead as their bodies hung limp as their parachutes gently carried them down below. As Tiago returned his gaze downward, he could swear German soldiers were targeting him personally as he heard the close hiss of bullets flying upward towards him. Tiago knew every second and foot downward could mean the difference between life and death as he floated through the living hell. Tiago swore the angels were with him as he safely landed down next to a small wooded area, where he could hide and try to rejoin with what remained of his squad…

_Some will never return. Embrace these, Father, and receive them, Thy heroic servants, into Thy kingdom._

**Back to the night of June 6…**

As the president continued his prayer, he spoke now more personally to the American people, to encourage them to wish the boys fighting overseas luck as they fought for every inch towards Berlin.

_And for us at home - fathers, mothers, children, wives, sisters, and brothers of brave men overseas - whose thoughts and prayers are ever with them-help us, Almighty God, to rededicate ourselves in renewed faith in Thee in this hour of great sacrifice._

The Scarlet couple, Albert and Maria, prayed for their son, hoping he was praying as well as their daughter, Liz, was praying for her brother and well Lisa, she was praying for both her brother and Tiago, she wouldn't know how to live if one of them died, much less if both perished.

_Many people have urged that I call the Nation into a single day of special prayer. But because the road is long and the desire is great, I ask that our people devote themselves in a continuance of prayer. As we rise to each new day, and again when each day is spent, let words of prayer be on our lips, invoking Thy help to our efforts._

As the president continued the prayer, Lisa softly wished for her brother's and lover's safe return, she was waiting to marry Tiago and for Alex to attend the wedding as well, she told herself that as the days passed and the letters from the two young men kept coming home, they were safe and were closer to returning home themselves.

_Give us strength, too - strength in our daily tasks, to redouble the contributions we make in the physical and the material support of our armed forces._

While Liz, the older of the two girls, used her physical strength, having to spend shifts at the nearby arms factory to provide for the men overseas. Lisa had a different strength, the strength in her heart to carry her through these difficult times.

_And let our hearts be stout, to wait out the long travail, to bear sorrows that may come, to impart our courage unto our sons wheresoever they may be._

As the president spoke his next line, Albert and Maria thought about Alex. Alex had the traits of his father, his grandfather, and all his grandfathers before, all the way back to the War of Independence, Alex's family always answered the nation's call to duty, Alex's family having fought in every war. Albert himself was a marine when he was sent to Europe during the Great War and now Alex was upholding that family tradition as he dropped down into the same ground his own father walked upon 25 years ago. Alex always wanted to one day serve his country and now he had the chance and was ready to do his duty.

_And, O Lord, give us Faith. Give us Faith in Thee; Faith in our sons; Faith in each other; Faith in our united crusade. Let not the keenness of our spirit ever be dulled. Let not the impacts of temporary events, of temporal matters of but fleeting moment let not these deter us in our unconquerable purpose._

As the president was coming towards the end, Lisa couldn't help but shed tears, which escaped her eyes and fell down onto the wooden surface of the dining table. Maria, who was sitting next to her younger daughter, let go of her daughter's wing, to get her handkerchief and give it to Lisa, who accepted it and wiped away the tears as she then rejoined her wings with his mother's.

_With Thy blessing, we shall prevail over the unholy forces of our enemy. Help us to conquer the apostles of greed and racial arrogancies. Lead us to the saving of our country, and with our sister Nations into a world unity that will spell a sure peace a peace invulnerable to the schemings of unworthy men. And a peace that will let all of men live in freedom, reaping the just rewards of their honest toil._

"Damm right mister president." Albert smiled. "We're going to kick those kraut a**holes and teach them not to mess with us." Albert said pridefully as Maria gave a glare to her husband, to not ruin the somber moment the family was having for their loves ones overseas.

_Thy will be done, Almighty God._

_Amen."_

"Amen." The family all said together in unison after the president finished.

As the radio returned to the music of the day, the family ate their meal before preparing and sleeping for the night. As Lisa was in her nightclothes, she laid down onto her bed, feeling a little empty as she wished Tiago was next to her, comforting her and telling her that he loves her. All Lisa had at the moment was a small framed picture she kept, of the last moments they spent together before Tiago was shipped off, which Lisa kept on her bed stand. It gave her the courage to hope that one day he would come back to her, safely and in one piece.

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**Been a long time since I made this kind of one shot, let alone a one shot, period! I hope you all did enjoy and before I end it off, a few words to say…**

**God bless to all those who fought and sacrificed their lives so we can all live in a world free of tyranny, especially those who left home and never returned back to their family and loved ones, your contribution will never be forgotten! Thank you to the greatest generation whoever lived, who gave the chance for future generations to live on and learn from the mistakes of the past!**


End file.
